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These little-known Excel clicks can save you time every day
Small changes to how you interact with Excel can simplify formula writing, formatting, data entry, and navigation.
I stopped pretending Excel is a database and switched to this open-source app
Grist made it easier to connect related records, build dashboards without cell grids, and let those relationships drive the interface.
I've used Excel professionally for decades—here's where ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini still fall short
AI can help solve Excel problems, but I still rely on Excel when rules, context, and verification matter.
I've used Excel for decades, and Ctrl+Enter is still the most useful shortcut I know
This overlooked shortcut lets me update cells, preserve formatting, repair formulas, fill gaps, and edit multiple worksheets simultaneously.
My best Excel PivotTables start with these 4 functions
Applying XLOOKUP, IF, TEXTSPLIT, and TRIM to my source data gives my PivotTable more useful fields and cleaner info to work with.
I made Excel remember my favorite worksheet setups with this little-known feature
There's no need to repeatedly adjust filters, hidden columns, zoom, and print settings—set them up once and save the arrangement as a custom view.
Nextcloud is the do-everything Microsoft Office alternative that beats all the open-source options
Stop paying Microsoft for Office—Nextcloud does everything in one place you control.
Excel isn't slow—you just built a workbook that takes forever to load
From forgotten worksheets and old names to volatile formulas and embedded images, hidden bloat can slow your workbook down.
I borrowed this developer habit for Excel, and it saved me hours of future work
Refactoring has changed how I handle formulas, workbook structure, repetitive tasks, and the clutter that builds up over time.
I replaced hundreds of Excel lookup formulas with this single tool
I was drowning in XLOOKUP formulas, but Power Pivot gave me a cleaner way to build reports.
5 Excel formatting tools I use in every spreadsheet I create
From reusable styles to smarter number formats, these Excel tools help create cleaner and more useful spreadsheets.
I thought Copilot would clean up my messy Excel spreadsheet—it had other ideas
A simple prompt revealed Copilot's strengths as an auditor but its weaknesses as a spreadsheet cleaner.
Years later, this is still one of my most-used Excel tools
Excel's old-school Custom Lists feature still solves modern problems by automating entries and customizing sorting.
I stopped manually naming ranges in Excel—this little-known shortcut does it in seconds
Create dozens of named ranges at once, write clearer formulas, and even update existing formulas automatically.
Publisher's retirement deadline is closer than you think—do these things before it's too late
Publisher is going away, but the right preparation can help you preserve important designs and continue creating.
I tested 6 ways to remove blank rows in Excel—only 3 made the cut
The best way to remove blank rows in Excel isn't always the most obvious—and some popular methods can put your data at risk.
You're using Freeze Panes in Excel to solve the wrong problems
Tables, Watch Window, Split View, and grouping often solve common spreadsheet frustrations more effectively than Freeze Panes.
The Excel feature I've been waiting a year for still hasn't arrived, so I built it myself
Waiting for PivotTable Auto Refresh got old, so I built a VBA tool that keeps them updated on my terms.
I built an Excel dashboard without writing a single formula
Building around relationships instead of formulas made my Excel dashboard faster to create, easier to update, and more interactive.
7 Excel tricks that are offensively simple (but surprisingly effective)
From secret shortcuts to clever formatting tricks, these Excel hacks will make you wonder why nobody mentioned them sooner.